WHAT WE DO
Each year New Paltz Rotary contributes 15,000 pounds of food to the Backpack program, $15,000 to needy NP families during the holidays, $10,000 in scholarships to NP students, thousands of dollars worth of food to Family of New Paltz, $3,000 to Friends of Guirgho, and over $2,000 to the Rotary Foundation.
Programs
Backpack Program
Provides weekend food for nutritionally at-risk local school children
Our school district provides free and reduced price lunch to disadvantaged students throughout the school. However, many children do not have access to regular meals over the weekend.
Scholarship Program
Youth Exchange Program (YEX)
Sponsorship of an inbound and an outbound international exchange student each year
The Youth Exchange Program (YEX) is an exchange program for secondary school students between the ages of 15 and 17, who travel abroad to learn about other cultures and languages. We have students coming from other countries (Inbound Students) as well as students leaving for other countries (Outbound Students).
Friends of Guirgho
Actively support the “Friends of Guirgho” project which provided upgraded classroom facilities and materials to the children of rural villages in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a small country in western Africa with one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. It is also a place where people are warm and welcoming, where young people routinely greet their elders with gestures of respect, where Muslims and Christians and indigenous religious and ethnic groups live side-by-side and intermarry—a place teeming with life and possibility.
Fishes & Loaves
Every year around the holiday season, the New Paltz Rotary Club coordinates with the Social Workers from the schools in the New Paltz Central School District - (Duzine, Lenape, the Middle School, and the High School) - to offer gift cards to Target and the local grocery store, ShopRite for families who are financially vulnerable so that they may buy extra food or toys for their children. The Social Workers work together to determine the families in need, get the total amount needed to the Fishes & Loaves Committee, receive the gift cards and distribute them to the families. NP Rotary Club raises the monies in various fundraisers throughout the year and provides the gift cards to the school Social Workers, maintaining the confidentiality of the families. In 2019, we budgeted $9,000 for this project. In 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, the vulnerable families nearly doubled and we provided $15,000 worth of gift cards. In 2021, we budgeted $15,000 for the project and all that money was needed and distributed. We have budgeted the same amount for this coming holiday season.
Interact
The Interact Club of New Paltz High School helps to develop leadership skills in our students while fostering the core value of Service Beyond Self. Club members provide acts of service to the school, and local community, as well as participating in global initiatives. In addition to volunteering their time to community events, or fundraising to support local and global causes, the students of New Paltz Interact Club also participate in the Global High School Summit, which brings together educators from 72 countries to address a common concern. The New Paltz Interact Club is open to all High School students in grades 9-12. They meet weekly under the guidance of Spanish Teacher, Rod Castro.
Touch-A-Truck
The New Paltz Rotary Touch a Truck is a unique, interactive, one-day event which allows children to see, touch, explore their favorite big trucks and service vehicles. In addition, they meet and interact with the personnel who protect, serve and build our community. Vehicles on display include construction trucks and equipment, emergency responders, tractor trailers, utility vehicles, a school bus and more.
This event features free fun family activities including bounce house and face painting.
All proceeds go to the New Paltz Rotary community and international giving. This event was started in 2012 and was held annually through 2019. We are excited to bring this event back in 2023. The first Sunday in June at the Ulster County Fair Grounds Libertyville Rd. New Paltz, NY.
Touch A Truck, where kids can be kids and adults can be kids again!
Other
Halloween Parade
Tree Lighting / Photos with Santa
Walk-a-thon
Fishing Derby
Winter Coat Drive
Park Cleanup
Food Drive
Family of New Paltz Support